Parishioners’ kindness alleviates COVID restrictions

[THE TOWER and spire of St Thomas’s Church in St Helier, Jersey, stand approximately 196ft above ground level. They are constructed from Brittany granite and are of mid-Victorian Gothic design – and are on the main public highway into the town.

The spire houses the main cross beam that supports an ornate cast iron cross. Four steel rods are hooked under small decorative openings. The cross beam and rods provide compression for the spire stonework.

After the church was struck by lightning, Stokeon-Trent company Rafferty Specialist Access Services Ltd were asked to undertake a review of the existing lightning protection system. That was in 2019.

A risk assessment revealed that the existing lightning protection system fell short of what was required in accordance with BS EN 62305. Rafferty’s were employed to install a modern system. During those works it became apparent that serious problems existed with the spire stonework and the cross steelwork.

The church employed Colin Smith Partnership (CSP) to project manage the works. The initial concern faced by Mark Cashion of CSP and Nick Rafferty was the potential danger to life due to the unstable stonework and unsafe steelwork. In addition, stone finials on the spire were rocking on their stems: the dowels and bonding mortar had completely perished. The original 1880s steelwork was heavily corroded. Swift action was needed to avert a major incident. In January 2020 Rafferty’s designed a scaffolding that was capable of protecting the church and the public, allowed the work to be completed without incident and was more cost effective than a full scaffolding from ground level. The scaffolding was commented on by members of the Jersey government as being an achievement to be admired. Then the COVID virus struck. While everything had been made as safe as possible, the loose stones and corroded steelwork were still in place and needed immediate repair. However, the project had to stop until clear guidance had been received. Thanks to a massive effort by Canon Dominic and Mark Cashion, Rafferty’s were back in Jersey at the end of June 2020 to remove the cross steelwork and repoint the internal stonework. The steelwork supporting the cross was replaced with stainless steel and the cast iron cross refurbished and gilded. The external spire stonework was fully repointed and the top section rebuilt.

For certain stages of the works the men had to remain on church property. The kind response from the parishioners and church members went beyond what anyone could expect. Home-cooked food was delivered daily; it was a kindness that will be remembered in Rafferty’s history.

Canon Dominic commented: “The scaffolding really was a work of art and will be long remembered by the locals and myself. Rafferty’s will be a name forever associated with St Thomas’s Church, Jersey.” q

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